The Tropical Paradise of Tioman Island, Malaysia
This is Bali Hai in Peninsular Malaysia's South China Sea
Nov 1, 2008
Malaysia has beaches and islands that attract a vibrant tourist trade. The climate is tropical and the country is well developed and tolerant of Western style and habits. Tioman is one of the best spots in the country. The Malaysian island of Tioman, in the South China Sea, is Bali Hai.
What Tioman Offers
Whatever a visitor could want, Tioman probably has it. In the 1970's, Time magazine named Tioman one of the world’s 10 most beautiful islands.
Tioman boasts some of the most fabulous beaches in the world. The waters are filled with coral and marine life of every hue and shade. Visitors can walk in near-virgin jungle, climb picturesque mountains, wade in glassy streams, and talk to friendly natives (though not many of them). And they can spend their sunsets walking on the white sand beaches.
Tioman's Geography
Tioman is not a big island -- 23 mile long and seven miles wide. It is, however, the biggest of the 64 islands in its chain, just off the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the largest island on Peninsular Malaysia's eastern coast.
The island's land areas are populated with natural attractions, as well. Tioman has five distinct ecological zones. Animal life includes monkeys, mousedeer, flying foxes and lots of reptiles and amphibians -- including the python (and 25 other species of snakes), the large monitor lizard (and over 30 other lizard species), and both land and sea turtles.
Scuba Diving
The island is a diver's paradise. The water is clear to a depth of 100 feet. Gardens of coral ring much of the island and include lace-like sea fans, and the alyconarian soft corals, and multi-colored staghorn coral. Parrotfish and butterfly fish are common, and many of the fish have neon colorings.
Accommodations on Tioman
Accommodations on the island are not expensive. While it's possible to spend a lot of money at one of the resorts, visitors can also get a hut on the beach (with a bathroom and ceiling fan) for about $10 US a night. More comfort is available for $25 to $30 a night for visitors who rent a small chalet with a television, fridge, hot water, bathroom, and air-conditioning.
Tioman is populated mostly with tourist resorts. The island can become very crowded during holiday period. Arriving without a reservation can mean sleeping on the beach. That's not unpleasant; but be prepared for a crowd at times...
Getting to Tioman
The boat trip from Mersing, Malaysia, takes about 90 minutes. From Singapore it is about four and a half hours (and Tioman is a favorite among the Singaporeans). Pelangi Air and Berjaya Air both fly to the island daily from Kuala Lumpur. Flights from Singapore also exist.
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